The National Teaching Council (NTC) has announced major reforms to the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), integrating it into the final-year examinations of teacher training institutions. This means that trainees will no longer sit for the licensure exam as a separate national test after graduation.
Under the new arrangement, the licensure assessment will be embedded within the final academic evaluations of teacher trainees, combining theoretical pedagogy with practical teaching assessments. The teaching practice will account for 30% of the total pedagogy score, while the theoretical component will make up the remaining 70%.
The reform also allows candidates to take the examination at their respective colleges or institutions of training, ending the previous system where they had to travel to designated centres.
According to the NTC, the decision aligns with the Ministry of Education’s directive to streamline teacher certification processes and reduce the duplication of examinations.
The licensure examination, first introduced in 2018, was designed to ensure that teachers meet national professional standards before being certified to teach. Over the years, it has tested candidates in numeracy, literacy, pedagogy, and subject-specific content.
The NTC has clarified that the changes will not affect the July 2025 GTLE, which will be conducted as scheduled for candidates who have already registered. The integrated system will apply to future cohorts who have not yet completed their academic programmes.
Education stakeholders have long debated the structure of the GTLE, with some calling for its abolition and others advocating for reform. The integration of the exam into final-year assessments mirrors systems used in other professional fields, such as nursing and midwifery, where licensing requirements are built into academic evaluations.
The NTC believes the new approach will align teacher qualification more closely with training, ensure consistency across institutions, and maintain high professional standards while easing the transition from training to teaching.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
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